I haven’t written about music in awhile - partly because I’ve been preoccupied by other things and partly because there hasn’t been enough noteworthy music to write about. I have been reinvigorated by some conversations with friends about following my passions and reenergized by a resurgence of some solid rock albums of late. My goal is to get back to writing about once a month including album reviews, concert reviews, and other editorials. This first issue of the year is going to be kind of a “state of the union address” for hard rock.
The early 2000s was a big time for rock with the popularity of nu-metal. That was followed by a wave of screamo bands and then a small resurrection of thrash and hardcore inspired outfits. The last couple of years have been pretty disappointing for rock. Ticket sales are down, cd sales are down, and most hard rocking bands haven’t been able to put out back-to-back releases with any degree of continuity or growth. I had to resort to reminiscing through my back catalog listening to things like Buckcherry, Rob Zombie, Taproot, and Mudvayne.
Slowly but surely, a few glimmers of hope emerged throughout this past year. First, Ill Niño put out their new album Epidemia that harkens back to their major label debut mixing equal parts aggression, chugging guitars, and Latin percussion. I still think they were at their best in terms of lyrics and overall composition of songs on Revolution Revolucion, but Epidemia is a step up from their last few albums. Then, Device brought back some of the original nu-metal magic that made Disturbed popular. David Draiman’s new band has the angst and hostility that had faded when Disturbed got commercial and went more melodic with their sound. Then Filter mounted a comeback. They too captured some of the energy and anthemic rock from their younger years on their latest album The Sun Comes Out Tonight. Some other noteworthy releases this year include new albums by Oleander, Pop Evil, Skillet, Soil, Devildriver, Trapt, and Mindset Evolution.
There have also been some new bands that have caught my ear. The Winery Dogs are kind of a throwback band that have blues and classic roots with good lyrics and hooks, sounding sort of like Chickenfoot, but with a style all their own. Gemini Syndrome is a new hard rocking group that could really be something big if they get some publicity. My uncle says they rocked live too. Eve to Adam is another band that is on the rise and is carrying the torch for dynamic heavy music. There is not a throw away track on their aptly titled Locked and Loaded.
It’s not all good news. Korn and Blue October took big steps backwards, in my opinion. Queens of the Stone Age, Sick Puppies and Black Sabbath all released albums much softer than expected. Others that have had some breakout moments are struggling just to make ends meet. Ozma and MadamAdam are looking for fans to donate toward their recording sessions. Nonpoint has similarly taken to social media to solicit funds to help them expand their touring schedule. Is this a sign of a lack of label support for hard rock or just a new way for bands to connect with their fans? I think its both, but only time will tell if this becomes the new normal.
